A toddler badly hurt in an alleged assault will today make his latest step towards recovery, while his older brother pines for his return.

Caleb Skinner, 2, is expected to move to a specialist children's rehabilitation unit in Takapuna today after spending more than two weeks in Auckland's Starship children's hospital recovering from a serious head injury.

Doctors have not yet been able to say how much brain damage Caleb suffered, but he is now eating unaided and is ready to start rehabilitation, supported by parents Jo Smith and Daryll Skinner.